The founder of Israel United in Christ (IUIC), Bishop Nathanyel Ben, has argued that biblical scriptures and historical representations support the belief that ancient Israelites, including Jesus Christ, were Black people, further claiming that Liberia has a connection to the biblical tribe of Judah.
Speaking during a media engagement at the Mamba Point Hotel in Monrovia on Thursday, November 5, Bishop Ben cited several biblical passages to support his position on the racial identity of ancient Israelites.
Referencing Revelation 1:14-15, he pointed to the description of Jesus Christ’s hair as “white like wool” and His eyes as “a flame of fire,” interpreting the description of wool as evidence of Afro-textured hair.
He also referenced historical images and archaeological representations of biblical figures, including Moses and other prophets, which he claimed depict them as Black people. He further alleged that such representations have been deliberately withheld from public knowledge.
Bishop Ben additionally cited Lamentations 4:8, which describes the appearance of people as having become “blacker than a coal,” and Jeremiah 14:2, which states that Judah mourned and its gates languished, with its people described as being “black unto the ground.”
According to him, these biblical passages demonstrate that the ancient Israelites, particularly the tribe of Judah, were Black people.
The IUIC founder also claimed that Liberia is connected to the biblical tribe of Judah, although he did not present additional historical evidence during the engagement to substantiate the assertion.
